Governor Kathy Hochul announces funding for abortion providers

Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a $35 million investment to directly support abortion providers in anticipation of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

Hochul directed the Department of Health to create a $25 million Abortion Provider Support Fund for abortion providers in order to both expand capacity and ensure access for patients seeking abortion care in New York.

The Department of Health will release an expedited application for both grant and reimbursement requests from providers, and will begin distributing funds to providers by the time a final Supreme Court decision would be released.

The Governor also directed the Division of Criminal Justice Services to administer $10 million in funding for safety and security capital grants for abortion providers and reproductive health centers to further secure their facilities and ensure the safety of patients and staff.

A request for proposals to allow organizations to apply is also expected to be issued by the time a final Supreme Court decision would be released. Application of this new funding will be modeled after Governor Hochul’s Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes program, which provides grants to strengthen safety and security measures at buildings owned or operated by non-profit organizations at risk of hate crimes or attacks because of their ideology, beliefs, or missions.

ALBANY – State lawmakers are proposing legislation to create a state-operated private fund to help survivors of child sex crimes pursue civil cases against their alleged abusers.

According to the Albany Times Union, the legislation is being spearheaded by Democratic Sen. James Gaughran of Long Island. It would create a “Child Victim Foundation Fund” run jointly by the Department of Taxation and Finance, the Division of Criminal Justice Services and the comptroller’s office.

New Yorkers would be able to donate to the fund when they file their taxes, and people convicted of child sex crimes would contribute to the pool in the form of a $1,000 fine.

Under the proposal, the state would also allocate grants to nonprofit organizations that help survivors litigate child abuse claims.

All fingerprints taken in connection with arrests must be submitted electronically to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services – the state’s repository of criminal history record information – and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Digital fingerprint technology enables law enforcement agencies and the courts to instantly receive an arrestee’s positive identification and any past criminal history and warrant information from the state. This information is crucial in determining how cases against arrested individuals proceed, including whether bail is set by the court.

The maximum grant awarded for each device was $10,000. Each of the grant recipients must provide a 50 percent local match as this technology benefits both local law enforcement agencies and the state.

The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office received a total of $43,989 to be used for the purchase of two devices in Mayville, along with one each for the Fredonia, Ellicott, Jamestown and Dunkirk police departments.

The Division of Criminal Justice Services expects to administer another round of funding for the equipment in 2016.